Soon Enough
by hime's-unmentionables
Summary: Because when you're young, your friends mean everything to you. Inuzuka Tsume and Nara Yoshino-centric. Inspired by Fifteen by Taylor Swift
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Soon Enough

**Characters:** Inuzuka Tsume, Nara Yoshino. Reference to others. Shikaku/Yoshino and Hiashi/Tsume implications.

**Summary Notes: **Note to self - the Navy training does nothing for your muse. Actually, it does a crap-tonne. You just can't do anything about it. Anyway, because I'm all fuzzy at the prospect of seeing my besties again now I'm home, I decided to do this while listening to Fifteen by Taylor Swift. Each little piece should be around the two hundred to five hundred mark. I've put all chapters up in one go, but if the fancy or time strikes you, do me a favour and review them all, neh?

Also, LOVES LOOK AT ME I PASSED BASIC TRAINING.

Mm. Anyway...

* * *

_You take a deep breath and you walk through the doors  
It's the morning of your very first day  
And you say hi to your friends you ain't seen in a while  
Try and stay out of everybody's way_

_Breathe in. Breathe out._

Yoshino would never have anticipated her first day as chuunin to be so stressful. Oh, she'd known it would be intimidating, but she'd never let _that _stop her before, had she? It was one of the reasons she'd passed her exams - fearless but level-headed Yoshino, often to the point of acting like the fussing mother.

Still, there'd be jonin in there...ANBU even...

_What the hell, Yoshino? You're not an idiot genin anymore!_

"Yo, _chuunin_! What the hell's with blocking up the doorway?"

Immediately incensed by the condescending jibe, Yoshino whirled, ready to deliver a sound tongue-lashing to the perpetrator...then her jaw dropped. Doe-like eyes widened before a most un-Yoshino like squeal burst from her lips.

_"Inuzuka Tsume!"_

The older girl laughed boisterously, hauling the gibbering Yoshino into a hug when the younger girl merely attempted to grasp her hands in greeting. Which was a fair call; they hadn't been bosom buddies, so to speak, but they'd been friends of a sort before they'd gone their seperate ways after the Academy - Tsume was, if rumours served correct, just a mission shy of graduating to a full-fledged jonin these days - before the friendship could develop any more than it had.

"C'mon, _chuunin, _you'll want to get in there before all the good spots are taken."

Yoshino's apprehension evaporated almost completely now she had the Inuzuka heiress on side, and with an arm looped through Tsume's, she lifted her chin high and strode confidently into the conference hall.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Soon Enough

**Characters: **Inuzuka Tsume. Nara Yoshino. Implied Hiashi/Tsume and Shikaku/Yoshino. Other characters.

**Summary: **Uh...chapter two? With...too many words?

_It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here  
For the next four years in this town  
Hoping one of those senior boys will wink at you and say  
"You know, I haven't seen you around before"_

"Just relax," Tsume muttered wryly, gently trying to loosen the vicegrip Yoshino had around her arm. She grinned lopsidedly. "Trust me, they're not as holier-than-though than they pretend to be."

Yoshino stifled a laugh despite herself. The nerves had come back full-force when they'd entered to find the place already packed with older chuunin and jonin, even ANBU, as a nervous perusal of the room discovered. She felt a slight sense of displacement; she was the only one from her generation to make chuunin this time around, though there were others like Tsume that had gone on before her.

A commotion to the right caused her to jump. Tsume rolled her eyes at it, firmly pulling Yoshino away as she attempted to place the cause. Yoshino frowned a little in confusion, though she managed to catch sight of three boys that appeared to be the centre of the chaos before Tsume dragged her over to a pair of Hyuuga - one scowling, and one attempting to stifle a laugh, and only partly succeeding.

"No way, angel. They'll corrupt your innocence so hard you won't even be able to spell it backwards, " Tsume growled, tossing a glare in the direction of the three troublemakers. Despite her confusion, Yoshino raised an eyebrow at that, nudging the Inuzuka playfully.

"And just what stake do you have in my so-called _innocence, _Tsume-chan?"

"The biggest stake known to mankind, Yoshino-_chan," _was the retort, complete with toothy grin. "Though...I'd probably have to get the stake out of King Hiashi's arse before I could use it."

The toothy grin faded into a smirk that was clearly goading, and was met with a deadly glare from the Hyuuga it had been directed at, though he seemed oddly disinclined to physically or verbally barrage his team-mate for the jibe. The other Hyuuga - Smiley Hyuuga - choked on a snicker, and as those pale eyes turned on her, Yoshino realised it was none other than Hyuuga Hizashi, again, an old classmate that had surged ahead in the ranks before the rest of them could get a chance.

"S'up, Yoshino?" he drawled, once again surprising her with his distinct lack of formality. He nodded a head wryly in the direction of the commotion that had occurred before (apparently oblivious to or just too familiar with the hissed insults coming from his brother and the Inuzuka to care), and Yoshino blinked, turning her head to find that the three troublemakers had migrated across the hall, and were observing her closely. Well, observed being the loose term - the blonde was leering at her, the big red-head was rolling his eyes at his friend, and the dark one just looked like he didn't want to be there.

"Haven't seen you around before, pretty girl," the blonde drawled.

"Just give him the finger," Hizashi muttered, his voice alerting Tsume to her fellow woman's plight. The Inuzuka's eyes narrowed to slits, and she growled and spun on her heel, eager to deliver a stinging blow to Yamanaka Inoichi. Yoshino beat her to the punch, though.

"That'd be because you couldn't afford someone from the high side of the street, blondie," she snapped, hands on hips. Inoichi's jaw dropped, and Yoshino stifled a smirk when the others, Hiashi included, dissolved into laughter.

"You can buy your balls back for a bowl of ramen later, Inoichi," Tsume chortled, "S'all they're worth anyways."

"Better leave her alone, 'blondie', or she'll take your stones literally next round," the dark one - a Nara, upon closer inspection - chuckled, elbowing his sulking friend so he'd move away. Inoichi did so, and the Nara smirked over his shoulder at Yoshino, leaving her hard-pressed to maintain her defiant expression and not blush like...like a struck teenager. That would be just hypocritical, considering she'd just effectively castrated his team mate's pride.

"So'd she pass the test?" Tsume teased, nudging Hiashi playfully. The Hyuuga heir scowled at her, though there was a slight twitch to his lips as he grumbled,

"She passed Shikaku's test, apparently."

Tsume and Hizashi snorted with laughter, and this time, Yoshino blushed.

_'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you_  
_You're gonna believe them_  
_And when you're fifteen feeling like there's nothing to figure out_  
_Well, count to ten, take it in_  
_This is life before you know who you're gonna be_  
_Fifteen_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Soon Enough

**Characters:** The usual thus far.

**Summary Notes: **I know Shikaku actually isn't that much older than Yoshino - I think it's only a year or two, three at most - but honestly, when you're fifteen-sixteen, that's a big gap.

_You sit in class next to a redhead named Abigail  
And soon enough you're best friends  
Laughing at the other girls who think they're so cool  
We'll be outta here as soon as we can_

Being the goody-two-shoes she was, Yoshino was nearly always the one found sitting - or standing - up straight, eyes glued on the teacher and attempting to take everything in. More so the case right now, considering the 'teacher' was the Hokage delivering a brief...but it was damned hard when you had Tsume and her surprisingly sharp tongue next to you, making wry comments here and hissing insults there.

"God, they're pathetic. You'd think they'd have gotten it through their pretty little skulls that he's about as attainable as an honest Iwa Nin, but noo...stupid bitches."

Yoshino stifled a laugh, knowing better than to question Tsume's uncharacteristic vehemence when it came to other females and Hiashi. Doing so was akin to a death wish, and in Yoshino's opinion, there was no reason to question it. Anyone with eyes and some kind of perceptiveness would recognise Tsume's snappy bravado for what it was.

_Not that she ever has to worry, _Yoshino thought, exchanging a droll look with Hizashi. T'was true; Hiashi was a cold prick at times, but it was pretty much a guarantee that if Tsume was located on his radar, he'd migrate in her direction, even if it was only to deliver a snide or provocative comment.

Stifling a chuckle, Yoshino let her attention wander, and her gaze, as always, absently strayed to the troublemaking trio known as Ino-Shika-Cho. As usual, they were at the back of the room, no doubt concocting some plot or other. Well, Inoichi was, and she levelled a glare at him, pointedly turning a smile to Chouza, whom she'd discovered to be an incredibly kind man, even shy at times.

The Nara, of course, was dozing, and she rolled her eyes, mouth twitching as she indulged her now disturbinbly familiar habit of studying the strong profile. He wasn't what you'd call handsome, not in this day and age where pretty boys where preferred, but still...the strong cheekbones, the stubble-lined jaw, the dusky skin and duskier, narrowed eyes...

_Wait, duskier, narrowed eyes?_

Mortified, Yoshino turned away with a rapidity that would make an Inuzuka hound look slow, unable to even muster a glare to cover her tracks, though she swore she could almost _hear _the dark chuckle of amusement rolling huskily from his throat.

"Oh, fuck my life," she whispered. Beside her, Tsume paused in her own moody perusal, raising an eyebrow at her normally level-headed friend's outburst. A moment of following where Yoshino had been looking, and Tsume snorted with laughter before turning back, nudging the younger girl teasingly.

"I see the appeal, really, I do, but I'd have thought you were too good girl to go chasing after older guys."

Yoshino crimsoned.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **Soon Enough

**Characters: **The usual.

**Summary Notes: **...chapter...three...yes...

_And then you're on your very first date and he's got a car  
And you're feeling like flying  
And you're momma's waiting up and you're thinking he's the one  
And you're dancing 'round your room when the night ends  
When the night ends_

"I still can't believe a guy from ANBU asked me out, Tsume. Me! I mean..."

The Inuzuka woman chuckled, lowering the weapon's catalogue in favour of watching her friend busybody about the room. Well, in this situation, it was probably fairer to call it dancing about, but Tsume had learnt quickly that despite her youth, nearly everything Yoshino did had a distinct fussy quality to it, like that particularly intimidating mother figure you brought your boyfriend home to meet.

And that included relaying the details of a date, apparently. The doe-eyed girl was bustling about Tsume's room, righting things here and adjusting things there; she figured given the chance, Yoshino would even try adjusting Kuromaru. The dog clearly thought so, too, and was watching his mistress's friend move about with an amused but cautious eye.

"He took me to the most elegant restaurant too, Tsume...I don't know how he paid for it, I swear."

Tsume's nose crinkled, her face scrunching as if she'd tasted something sour. She forced herself to bite her tongue in the face of her friend's happiness, though a part of her balked with guilt at the silence she imposed upon herself concerning Yoshino's date. Oh, she knew Mamoru alright, knew just how many girls he'd taken to that 'elegant restaurant', but Yoshino was so chirpy, happier than she'd been for weeks since her team mate had been reported dead, and...and Tsume just didn't have the heart to break that. Nor did she want to start an arguement with Yoshino, definitely not over a guy. She could still tease her, but not argue.

"Well," she drawled with forced brightness, "I suppose he's no Nara Shikaku..."

She trailed off, laughing when Yoshino predictably crimsoned. The younger girl stuttered for a moment (and Tsume was glad they'd gotten the topic off freaking ANBU boy and his restaurant), then her eyes narrowed, a spitefully playful gleam entering them as she retorted,

"Well, I can't say he's quite up there with a Hyuuga, either..."

A pillow to the face was her response.


End file.
